Barry Minkow Sentenced To 5 Years - Sort Of

ZZZZ Best carpet cleaning mastermind, evangelical preacher and crime fighter Barry Minkow was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison. Earlier this year Minkow pled guilty to a single count of conspiracy related to his issuing a report claiming fraud at Lennar Homes and subsequently placing bets (put options) that the stock would go down.

Minkow, who obviously learned something from his first stint in prison, is getting a good deal this time around. First, he picked a prison to serve his time in Montgomery, AL (Maxwell AFB), and in the Forbes Best Places To Do Time in prison. FPC Montgomery is not so much a prison as it is a space on the air base that is relegated as a prison. Prisoners have tasks that allow them to roam the base and nearby Troy State has a program that allows inmates to get a degree or simply take classes. No wasting away behind razor wire for these inmates.

The best benefit of FPC Montgomery is that it offers the Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP). During sentencing, Minkow stated that he had become addicted to painkillers due to migraine headaches. According to the LA Times, Minkow said he had become addicted to Oxycontin and kicked the habit upon finding out that he was under investigation. However, the best benefit of the drug program in prison is that it knocks off 18 months of prison time. The judge granted Minkow's request to participate in the program and here is what it means for his 60 month sentence: